有料盒子视频 boosts awareness of agriculture, food systems in 有料盒子视频
Jenn Wagaman
907-474-7115
Nov. 14, 2024
Caley Gasch, research assistant professor of soil science at the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, discusses her research at the 2024 Fairbanks Field Day.
A combination of corporate support and the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks鈥 commitment to science communication has allowed the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension to leverage new initiatives to increase awareness of agriculture's importance to 有料盒子视频鈥檚 complex food system.
Earlier this year, IANRE received a gift of $100,000 from AgWest Farm Credit. The gift will be used to help the university continue to support research investigating how agricultural initiatives play a role in supporting diverse food sources in 有料盒子视频 and contribute to the state鈥檚 food system stability.
Laura Weingartner, a recent 有料盒子视频 plant ecology graduate and participant in the Science Teaching and Outreach Certificate through 有料盒子视频鈥檚 College of Natural Science and Mathematics, joined IANRE鈥檚 communications team to help build the institute鈥檚 reach to 有料盒子视频 farmers and communities.
鈥淭he Institute is committed to enriching the lives of 有料盒子视频ns. Our work is to develop connections with our communities and farmers and ensure that the research being conducted at 有料盒子视频 is not only relevant to 有料盒子视频 farmers, but also accessible to them,鈥 said IANRE Director Jodie Anderson.
Weingartner has spent the past few months rebuilding the 有料盒子视频 Experiment Farm website, updating and reinvigorating the Experiment Station blog and creating educational materials and events to reach constituents. Her work is helping to show the many ways researchers at 有料盒子视频鈥檚 Experiment Station are contributing 鈥 from understanding which grains grow best for harvest and soil health, investigating strategies for greenhouse lighting to extend indoor growing potential to developing a livestock nutrition program to increase the state鈥檚 meat production.
鈥淲ith her support, we have increased our communication reach by nearly 82% in some areas. We鈥檝e held Field Days events at both the Palmer and Fairbanks farms and met with hundreds of community members, farmers and policymakers,鈥 Anderson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 this kind of boost in communication that helps us develop better relationships and ensure our research is investigating what 有料盒子视频鈥檚 farmers need. The 有料盒子视频 food system is complex, and we take our role in supporting that system seriously.鈥
The graduate certificate in science teaching and outreach was developed by faculty to prepare science graduate students for careers that include teaching and communicating science to the public.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Learn more about the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension or the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station as well as the Science Communication Certificate.
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